'March 5, 2026

Press Release

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) joined Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01) and more than 180 of their Democratic colleagues to announce the reintroduction of the DISCLOSE Act, landmark legislation to end the scourge of dark money in politics. '

'Larson also announced he is cosponsoring H.J. Res. 122, a Constitutional amendment to overturn the disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision allowing unlimited spending by special interest groups in our political system. The amendment would also explicitly authorize Congress to create a public financing system for elections. Larson recently received an “A” rating on the End Citizens United (ECU) anti-corruption scorecard for his election reform efforts.'

• 'requires organizations spending money in elections – including super PACs and 501(c)(4) dark-money groups – to promptly disclose donors who have given $10,000 or more during an election cycle 

• requires groups that spend money on ads supporting or opposing judicial nominees to disclose their donors 

• prohibits political groups from seeking exemptions from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to shield their donors from disclosure requirements 

• requires political campaigns and super PACs to disclose payments to social media influencers 

• requires political ads to have clear disclaimers about the top donors funding the ads '

https://larson.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/larson-and-house-democrats-reintroduce-bill-get-dark-money-out-politics

Major Federal Laws and Actions

'Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) of 1971: Set limits on campaign contributions and required public disclosure of funds raised and spent, establishing the Federal Election Commission (FEC). [1]
Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) of 2002: Also known as the McCain-Feingold Act, it banned national parties from raising unregulated "soft money" and restricted corporate and union funded broadcast ads near elections. [1, 2]
Citizens United v. FEC (2010): A landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down bans on independent corporate and union political expenditures, deciding they are protected free speech. [1]'

- Campaign Finance Reform AI Overview

'There is no limit on the amount of money an individual, corporation, or labor union can donate to a Super PAC. [1]

Super PAC Rules

Unlimited Donations: Donors can give any amount of money, whether it is $100 or millions of dollars.
No Direct Giving: Super PACs cannot give money directly to a candidate's official campaign committee.
Independent Spending: Funds must be spent independently on things like public ads or voter outreach, and cannot be coordinated with the candidate. [1, 2, 3]'

- AI Overview 

'Pine Tree Results PAC: A major outside super PAC formed in early 2025 that has raised over $12 million, backed heavily by national conservative donors, dark-money networks, and nearly 100 billionaires (including a $1 million contribution from New Balance chairman Jim Davis). [1, 2, 3]

One Nation & Senate Leadership Fund: Prominent national Republican outside spending groups aligned with Senate leadership that have committed millions toward advertising and financial backing for her sixth-term bid. [1, 2]

Stronger Maine: Another dedicated super PAC recipient of conservative and high-net-worth donor funding operating in the electoral network. [1]'

- AI Overview

'Pine Tree Results PAC: The primary pro-Collins super PAC has raised $20 million this cycle. It entered July 2026 with roughly $8 million cash on hand after heavily funding early advertising campaigns. [1, 2]

Billionaire Network Contributions: Out of the broader fundraising ecosystem supporting Collins, an analysis by The Maine Monitor found that at least 111 billionaires and their spouses have poured nearly $10 million into her network. The vast majority of this billionaire cash—approximately $9 million—was funneled directly into the unlimited-contribution Pine Tree Results PAC. Major individual contributors include hedge fund executive Ken Griffin ($2.5 million), private equity chief Stephen A. Schwarzman ($2 million), and New Balance owner Jim Davis ($1 million). [1, 2, 3, 4]

Senate Leadership Fund: This national Republican super PAC is independent of her local committee but has pledged a massive $42 million cushion to book ads defending her seat. [1, 2]

Winning for Women: Another aligned pro-Collins super PAC backing her campaign held nearly $700,000 cash on hand heading into July. [1]'

-AI Overview